Apparatus for feeding fabric to winding mechanism.



FHF. BRUGKBR.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FABRIC T0 WINDING MECHANISM,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1913.

Patented Dec.22,1 914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. 'f'zven zarz' fil'dz'lzalzdffiraa-Awr M 56mm P. F. BRUOKER.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FABRIC T0 WINDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1913. r

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY F. F. BRUOKBR.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FABRIC T0 WINDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1913. 1,121,793. Patented Dec.22, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

i provide an improved form of UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND FRANCIS nnucxan, or men OHIO, AssIeNon. To run MILLER RUBBER COMPANY, a CORPORATION or OHIO.

APPARATUS ron rnnnm'e ranmc 1'0 wmnme macnamsm.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND F. BRUCKER, a citizen of the United, States, residing at Akron, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Feeding Fabric to Winding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for feeding sheets of fabric to winding mechanism and pertains more particularly to that type of apparatus employed in the manufacture of pneumatic tire-shoes.

The principal object of the invention is to apparatus for feeding strips of rubber coated or friction fabric alternately from a plurality of stock rollers to a ower driven ring-core, such as is used in building tireshoes, formed of superimposed layers' of fabric cut on the bias. I x

The invention further contemplates pro viding feeding apparatus for this purpose, in which the various stock rollers are supcommon axis, in such manner as to be successively brought position to deliver the fabric to the ring-core. 7

Another object of the invention consists an even and regular feed of the fabric,a though it is taken from different stock rolls and at relatively different times. This is attained by providing a common tensioning device for the several stock rollers and mechanism by which each roller is operatively connect- .ed therewith only when in position to deliver the fabric.

With these and other" objects in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts more full described in thefollowing specification, il ustrated in the accompan ing drawings and pointed out in the appen ed claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view in elevation of the drum carrying the stock rollers, (with parts broken away); and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the, tension weight.

Referring now to the drawingma stationry base port n B sprqndedmatr Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 5, 1918. serial 1m. reason Deco 22,

parallel transverse members A, upon which the standards. Sr-bf the "supporting frame are slldabl mounted The standards are of triangu ar construction and are rigidly connected at their bases by transverse mam-- upper apex of each standw bersT. At the ard a U-shaped c annelis formed. -These channels form bearings for the main shaft 1 of the drum 2. Q v

i The skeleton drum framevis carried on, a

hollow shaft 1' encircling the main shaft 1 and comprises twociroular end pieces 2,

supported y the radial members or sptokes,

2 rlgidly' secured to the hollow sha At one end of the drum 8. gear casing 3 .is

provided rigidly connected 'to-the hollow shaft 1'. At the other end of the drum the main shaft 1 is provided with an extension member or pulley 4: pro'ecting beyond'the standard S. The stock ro lers 4, upon which the frictionfabric is wound, are carried-on shafts 5 having hearings in slots 6 rovided at intervals around the outer perip cries of the circular frame pieces 2. .In order to securely retain these rollers in position and at the same time enable them to be easily tance from the periphery of the drum frame and terminate at their outer ends in ear pieces 12 from which anti-frictional rollers 13, carried loosely on ins 14, project at right angles to the. racket plates. A pair of feed rollers 16 and 17, having their axes arallel to the main shaft 1, are supporte between each set of bracket plates 11 around the drum frame, u on the shafts 15 and 18 respectively. The rst mentioned rollers 16 are the oneswhich receive the fabric as it is fed from the stock rollers 4.

ee w l s, ke ed 2 on o. i s. pmieat s end a beveled gear 19. Radial shafts 20 extend from the gear box 3 at right an les to the main shaft 1 and are provide at their outer ends with loosesleeve members 22 having bearin s in small journal boxes memes tact as the weighted arms 30 swing to main= tain their vertical positions during the rotation of the drum From the foregoing it will be readily seen that only when the ear pieces or projections 23 secured to the racket plate 11. Formed 30 are held by their weights projected radiintegral with the sleeve members 23 or rigidly secured to them are beveled gear wheels 21, adapted to mesh with the corresponding gear wheels 19 on the roller shafts 15. The inner ends-of the shafts 20 are also provided with beveled gears 24 adapted to mesh with the annular gear rack 25 contained within the gear box In order to cau'semotion imparted to the rollers 16 as the fabric is fed out, to be transmitted successively through the shafts 20 to the gears 24 and rack'25, special means are provided to'op'eratively connect each shatt 20 only when it reaches a horizontal position on the front or descendin side. The loose sleeves 22, previously escribed as carrying the beveled ears 21, are provided at their inner ends wit a series of serrations or teeth 22. Second sleeve members or collars 26, provided at their outer ends with similar serrations or teeth 26 adapted to engage those on the sleeves 22, are non-rotatably secured to the shafts 20 by keys, and keyways which permit of a limited longitudinal displacement along the shafts. o automatically effect the ongitudinal dis placement of the sleeve members 26, neces sary to cause on agement with and disengagement from t e sleeves 22, two arms 27 and 28 are provided on each racket plate 11. The first mentioned arms 27 are carried at their upper ends on ins 30, by a means of collars ri idly connected with their stems and having ormed-integral therewith ear shaped lugs 30adapted to be normally maintained in a horizontal position by means of weights 31 suspended on the lower freely maintained constantly vertical, while the ear pieces 30 always extend to the ri ht and are consequently always horizontal. he second mentioned arms 28 are pivotally secured at one end to the bracket plates 11 by screws 32 in such manner that small pins 33, projecting from their inner sides, constantly register with annular grooves 22", rovided for this purpose in the sleeves 22. he arms 28 are mounted in the same vertical plane as the ear pieces 30 carried at the upper ends of the arms 30 so that by means of coiled springs 33 fastenedat one end to the arms 28 and at the other to the inner part of the bracket plates 11, these two members are caused to bear constantly against one another. It will be seen that the pivoted arms 28 assume diii erent relative positions, due to the different surfaces of the ear pieces 30 which are presented at the points of consleeve members 26 and 22, will be in ivoted ally-outward, as shown on the right of Fig. 1, will the levers or arms 28 be operated to throw the clutch sleeves into engagement. In this position the shaft 20, carryin the orizontal position and driving motion will be imparted through the gears 19, 21, and'24 to the central rack 25. Rotation of this rack 25 drives the inner shaft 1 to which it is joined, and consequently the extension pulleyv member 4 carried at its outer end. Attached at one end to the pulley 4: is a cable 34 which passes over a stationary ulley 35 suitably supported in some elevated position and has at its outer end a weight 36 suspended therefrom. v

The feed rollers 17 previously referred to,

' receive the fabric after it has passed around the roller 16 and deliver it to the power driven ring core (not shown) The surfaces ofthese rollers 17 are formed with oppositely directed helical grooves or fluting to efiect a lateral stretching of the fabric and remove creases. The fabric being rubberized is wound upon the stock rollers with an interposed winding of protecting muslin and it is necessary to dispose of this filler before feeding the fabric to the ring core. For this purpose specially adapted frictional rollers 37 are rovided'. They are carried in spring pressed pivoted bracket arms 38 attached to the drum frame and so arranged that the rollers 37 carried thereby will bear frictionally on the stock rollers 4 rotating in the opposite direction and winding up the muslin filler as the fabric is fed out.

Pivotally secured at one end to the frame work at the bottom of the machine is a spring-held lever 39 havin a foot treadle 40 provided at its outer en An adjustably movable notched plate 41 is carried by this lever and so positioned that it is normally in the path of the antifriction rollers 14 projecting from the bracket plates 11. Engagementof one of these rollers with the groove in-plate 41 holds the drum against rotation about its axis. B depressin the foot treadle 40 against t e tension 0 its spring the plate is disengaged from the roller 14:

its endsinbrackets 43 on the base. portion, and having a threaded sleeve movable thereon carried by one of the cross pieces T. The adjusting rod is operated by means of a hand wheel provided at its inner end.

' The operation-of the apparatus is as follows: The stock rollers-4 provided with the friction fabric are set in place around the ripheryof the drum 2. Fabric is fed om the roller 4which is in position at the front of the machine to deliver to the power driven ring-core. The material passes around the roller 16 over the feed roller 17 and isfed onto the rin core. The muslin filler isfed off as the fa ric unwinds from the roller 4 and winds itself on the roller 37,

, which by frictional engagement with roller 4, rotates in theopposite direction.

The frictional engagement of the fabric over and around the roller 16 causes it to rotate-and with the clutch sleeves in engagement, as hereinbefore'de'scribed, drive theshaft through the beveled gears 19 and 21. The

- beveled earat the inner end of the shaft 20 in turnrives the rack and shaft 1 which winds the cable 34-around the ulley 4 lifting the tension 'f'wei ht 36 w ose purpose it s to' regulatethe ee'd of fabric. It will befiseen that'although all the planetary gear wheels 24 are in mesh with the rack 25 there is but one of the shafts 20 whose clutch sleeves 22 and 26 are in engagement, as in all the other instances the lever arms 28 are not acted uponby the projections 30, hence lit these other shafts. run loose in their bearings. The drum itself is-held from'rotation by the notched plate41, carried on the foot treadle lever 39 which engages one of the antifrictional rollers 14 pro ecting from the. bracket plates 11; After the tire core has made one complete revolution, or in other words has drawn one layer of fabric, the core is stopped and the fabric cut ofi' enough to lap the first end-by a small in position to deliver fabric to the ring core,

whereupon the shaft 20 for the one roller will be automatically uncoupled from its ear 19, while that of the other will be 'rought into operative relation and the feeding operation 'can proceed as before. In the manner, although the fabric is fed from distinctly separate rollers, they are eachin turn connected to the same tensioning detrally of fabric whichrotatable drum rice, the weight 36, and the feed of the inaterial subjected in each instance to the same control or regulating means.

Having. described my invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus for supplying sheets of fabric to' winding mechanlsm, comprising a lurality of stock rollers, a plurality of ceding devices coiiperating therewith for feeding the fabric under tension, and cenocated means for maintaining a uniform resistance on said fabric as it is suc- 'cessively fed from each of the saidstock rollers, said means ada' ted to be positively coupled with said feeding rollers, substantial y as described.

An apparatus :for supplying sheets of fabric to winding mechams'm comprising a plurality of stock rollers, a. plurality of eeding rollers coiiperating therewith, means forbnngin said stock rollers successively into operative feeding position, a centrally located common tensioning device for regulating the feed of the said fabric, and means automatically operated to couple said feed rollers successively with said tensioning device, substantially as described.

'3. An apparatus for supplying sheets of fabric to winding mechanism comprising a plurality of stock rollers, a plurality of feeding devices coiiperating therewith for feeding the fabric under tension, and common tensioning means for maintaining a uniform resistance on said fabric through the feeding devices as the said fabric is fed insuccession from the stock rollers, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for supplying sheets-of fabric to winding. mechamsm comprising a plurality of stock rollers, a plurality of feed rollers coiiperating therewith, means for bringing said stock rollers successively into operative feeding position, a common tensioning device for regulating the feed of the fabric, throu h the feed rollers and 'means automatica y operated to couple said feed rollers successively with said tensioning device, substantially 'as described.

5. An apparatus for supplying sheets of fabric to windin mechanism comprising a ame, a pluralit of stock rollers carried on said frame, a urality of feed rollers coiiperatin with sai stock rollers for feeding the fa ric under, tension, a common tension device for regulating the feed of the fabric from the several stockrollers through the: feed rollers and means automatically operated upon rotation of said drum frame for coupling said tensioning device successively with the said feed ro lers, substantially as described.

6. An apparatus for supplying sheets of fabric to winding mechanism comprising a main shaft, a drum frame rotatable about the same, a tcnsionin device operatively connected with said aft, a plurality of 7. An apparatus for supplying sheets of fabric to winding mechanism comprising a plurality of stock rollers, a plurality of sets of feed rollers coiiperating therewith, a plurality of frictional rollers coiiperating with said stock rollers for taking up the filler between the layers, means for bringing said stock rollers successively into operative feeding position, a common tensioning device for regulating the feed of the fabric and means automatically operated to couple said sets of feed rollers successively with said tensioning devices, substantially as de scribed.

8. Anapparatus for supplying sheets of fabric to winding mechanism comprising a main shaft, a drum frame rotatable about the same, a tension device operated by said shaft, a plurality of stock rollers detachably mounted at intervals around the periphery of said drum frame, a plurality of sets of feed rollers cotiperating with said stock rollers for feeding the fabric under tension, means coiiperatmg with a. roller of each set for automatically coupling the same with said main shaft and tensioning device upon reaching a predetermined position, substantially as described.

9. An apparatus for supplying sheets of fabric to winding mechanism comprising a shaft, provided at one end with a circular rack and at the other with a winding drum, a tensioning device operatively connected to said drum, a frame rotatable about said shaft, a plurality of stock rollers rotatably mounted around the periphery of said drum frame, bracket plates rigidly secured to and memes extending from the and members of said drum frame, a plurality of feed rollers carried in said bracket plates and provided at one end with ears, a plurality of radial shafts provided at their inner ends with gears adapted to mesh with said rack gears loose on the outer ends of said shafts, and meshing with the gears on the feed rollers, clutches for connecting the loose ears with the shafts and automatic means for successively operating said clutch, partial rotation of said drum frame for connecting said radial shafts successively to the respective feed rollers for coupling the tension device with the separate feeding rollers in succession, substantially as described.

10. An apparatus for supplying sheets of fabric to winding mechanism comprising a main shaft provided at one end with a circular rack and at the other with a winding drum, a weightedcable attached to said drum, a frame rotatable about said shaft, a plurality of stock rollers rotatably carried by said frame, a plurality of feed rollers carried by saidfrarne and provided at one end with gears, a plurality of radial shafts carried by the frame and. provided at their inner ends with beveled gears adapted to mesh with said circular rack, gears loose on the outer ends of saidradial shafts meshing with the gears of said feed rollers, clutch members on said radial shafts for coupling said loose gears with the gears on the feed rollers, and means for automatically operating said clutch members comprising weighted and spr pressed pivoted lever arms cotiperating with each other and with said clutch members, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, ll affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND FEAN 01S BB'UCKEEU Witnesses:

Rrcnmnn Gmrrrrn, Wm. F. Prnrrrnn. 

